Experimental WHV Infection of Woodchucks: an Animal Model of Hepadnavirus-induced Liver Cancer

Overview

Journal Gastroenterol Jpn

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 1990 Sep 1

PMID 2227264

Citations 7

Authors

J L Gerin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a member of the Hepadnaviridae, is closely related to HBV in its virus structure, genetic organization and mechanism of replication. Natural infection of woodchucks is associated with chronic liver disease and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A concerted effort to develop the woodchuck as an experimental animal model of hepadnavirus-induced disease was initiated in 1980. The experimental studies have established the following: (1) Chronic WHV carriage as an outcome of infection is a function of age of exposure, virus dose and, possibly, virus strain. As in humans, animals infected as newborns develop chronic antigenemia at high rates compared to young adults. (2) WHV causes primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in woodchucks. Hundred percent of experimentally-induced chronic WHsAg carriers developed HCC within three years; no HCC has occurred in concurrent uninfected control animals born and held in the same laboratory environment. The predictable course of experimental WHV infection leading to liver disease in woodchucks makes this an ideal model in which to study the natural history of hepadnavirus and to develop effective prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.

Citing Articles

The woodchuck as an animal model for pathogenesis and therapy of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Menne S, Cote P World J Gastroenterol. 2007; 13(1):104-24.

PMID: 17206759 PMC: 4065868. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i1.104.

Woodchuck gamma interferon upregulates major histocompatibility complex class I transcription but is unable to deplete woodchuck hepatitis virus replication intermediates and RNAs in persistently infected woodchuck primary hepatocytes.

Lu M, Lohrengel B, Hilken G, Kemper T, Roggendorf M J Virol. 2001; 76(1):58-67.

PMID: 11739671 PMC: 135691. DOI: 10.1128/jvi.76.1.58-67.2002.

Replication of naturally occurring woodchuck hepatitis virus deletion mutants in primary hepatocyte cultures and after transmission to naive woodchucks.

Lu M, Hilken G, Yang D, Kemper T, Roggendorf M J Virol. 2001; 75(8):3811-8.

PMID: 11264370 PMC: 114872. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.8.3811-3818.2001.

Antiviral activities of oral 1-O-hexadecylpropanediol-3-phosphoacyclovir and acyclovir in woodchucks with chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection.

Hostetler K, Beadle J, Hornbuckle W, Bellezza C, Tochkov I, Cote P Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2000; 44(7):1964-9.

PMID: 10858362 PMC: 89993. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.44.7.1964-1969.2000.

Effect of oral administration of emtricitabine on woodchuck hepatitis virus replication in chronically infected woodchucks.

Korba B, Schinazi R, Cote P, Tennant B, Gerin J Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2000; 44(6):1757-60.

PMID: 10817750 PMC: 89954. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.44.6.1757-1760.2000.

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